ust like the first generation version of Space Invaders--the famous
coin-operated video game that hit the arcades some 20 years ago--this
PlayStation incarnation allows players to take control of a chunky little
mobile gun turret with all the freedom of movement that left-to-right and
back again allow.
The object of the game is to
thwart an alien invading force that presses down upon the little turret, which is hunkered at the bottom of the screen. Also like the original version, the alien force always
falls into formation and marches back and forth across the screen like so
many sitting ducks.
There are two elements that hold Space Invaders above simple target-shooting status, the first of which is the progressive nature of the alien
formation. As the slug-paced swarm makes a complete trek from one side of
the screen to the other, it advances one step closer to the ground, and
should one little alien complete its march to the bottom, it's all over. Adding to that difficulty curve, the formation marches faster as
its numbers become depleted, though they don't close ranks. Eventually,
players are confounded by one or two little antagonists sprinting
across the screen (not to mention the occasional big bad "boss").
The second element that made the original Space Invaders so ornery
shows its face at this point. Firepower by default is extremely limited. In
fact, the turret can only fire one round at a time and the player cannot fire again until that first projectile either
hits something or commits itself to the vast abyss beyond the top of the
screen. The slow reload combined with one or two deviant aliens tearing
around is what makes the Space Invaders franchise so
successful: It offers a simple, easy-to-understand premise combined with a
demand for skill, patience and timing.
New-age Invaders....
The problem with an "updated" game like Space Invaders stems from the
fact that there is very little to work with in the first place. Video games evolved from basic, low-speed target shooting to
complex, multitask extravaganzas simply because consumers demanded such
complexity. The new Space Invaders is an unsophisticated game in an
ultra-sophisticated gaming world and, as such, it does not pass muster.
Activision certainly did its part in revitalizing this classic,
redrawing the entire game with modern 3-D models, resplendent visuals, a fully
animated opening movie sequence and colorful sound samples. Too, this new
Space Invaders contains the requisite power-up incentives so
prevalent in today's video games. Doomsday devices
that obliterate up to half a swarm of aliens in one fell swoop give gamers a sense of immediate gratification not afforded in the original rendition.
And while the alien hordes now march in much more diverse patterns--rather
than rows--the risk of missing a
target and waiting that entire heartbeat for a reload is eased by the
simple, spoon-feeding bonus item, the "double shot." This, combined with
similar smart-bomb weapons, makes this new Space Invaders as much a
button-mashing frenzy as a game of skill, control and timing.
